Hey Let’s Go (Sanpo) – Azumi Inoue | 1988

さんぽ [Sanpo]
井上あずみ [INOUE Azumi]
Words : 中川李枝子 [NAKAGAWA Rieko]
Music : 久石譲 [HISAISHI Jō]

“My Neighbor Totoro ^web” (となりのトトロ / Tonari no Totoro) is an animated film produced by Studio Ghibli, released in 1988. The story is set in 1950s Japan and follows the adventures of the Kusakabe family sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the countryside and encounter a mysterious creature named Totoro, said to be visible only to children.
Following the theme song “My Neighbor Totoro” introduced yesterday, today we are covering the opening theme “Hey Let’s Go (Sanpo).” This song is also very popular among children in Japan and is sometimes classified as a nursery rhyme. The English version seems to be equally popular. Today, please listen to the original version.

散歩（さんぽ） [sanpo] : walking

The Japanese title is “さんぽ / sanpo,” which refers to walking for relaxation or health. When there is a specific purpose, it is not referred to as “sanpo.” The singing style in the English version, “Hey Let’s Go,” feels more energetic. This might reflect the difference between “Go” and “Sanpo.”
In the film, Mei explores the neighborhood alone while her sister Satsuki is at school. If you’ve seen the movie, imagine Mei’s actions as you read.

あるこうあるこうわたしはげんき
arukō arukō watashi wa genki

歩く（あるく） [aruku] : walk
私（わたし） [watashi] : I
元気（げんき） [genki] : energetic, healthy

(translation) “Let’s walk, let’s walk, I am cheerful.”

“歩こう / arukō” also appears in the classic song “Ue o Muite Aruko (Sukiyaki).”
“元気 / genki” can mean energetic or healthy. The most common phrase corresponding to “How are you?” is simply “元気？ / genki?”

あるくのだいすきどんどんいこう
aruku no daisuki dondon ikō

大好き（だいすき） [daisuki] : love, like very much
どんどん [dondon] : quickly, steadily
行く（いく） [iku] : go

(translation) “I love walking, let’s go quickly.”

“どんどん / dondon” is an onomatopoeia that has appeared many times in the blog. The dictionary describes it as “the state of things progressing energetically or without hesitation.” Mei’s actions are truly “どんどん.”

さかみちトンネルくさっぱら
sakamichi tonneru kusappara
いっぽんばしにでこぼこじゃりみち
ipponbashi ni dekoboko jarimichi
くものすくぐってくだりみち
kumonosu kugutte kudarimichi

道（みち） [michi] : road, path
坂道（さかみち） [sakamichi] : slope, hill
トンネル [tonneru] : tunnel
草原（くさっぱら） [kusappara] : grassy field
一本橋（いっぽんばし） [ipponbashi] : narrow bridge
でこぼこ [dekoboko] : uneven, bumpy
じゃり [jari] : gravel
くもの巣（くものす） [kumonosu] : spider web
くぐる [kuguru] : go through
下り道（くだりみち） [kudarimichi] : downhill path

(translation) “A slope, a tunnel, a grassy field
A narrow bridge, a bumpy gravel road
Going through a spider web, a downhill path”

Wow, she’ve come quite a long way, encountering various “みち / michi” (paths).
“でこぼこ / dekoboko” is written in kanji as “凸凹.” It describes a surface with bumps and hollows.

あるこうあるこうわたしはげんき
arukō arukō watashi wa genki
あるくのだいすきどんどんいこう
aruku no daisuki dondon ikō

みつばちブンブンはなばたけ
mitsubachi bunbun hana batake
ひなたにトカゲへびはひるね
hinata ni tokage hebi wa hirune
バッタがとんでまがりみち
batta ga tonde magarimichi

みつばち [mitsubachi] : honeybee
ブンブン [bunbun] : buzzing
花畑（はなばたけ） [hanabatake] : flower field
ひなた [hinata] : sunny place
とかげ [tokage] : lizard
へび [hebi] : snake
昼寝（ひるね） [hirune] : nap
バッタ [batta] : grasshopper
飛ぶ（とぶ） [tobu] : fly
曲がり道（まがりみち） [magarimichi] : winding road

(translation) “Honeybees buzzing, a flower field
A lizard in the sun, a snake taking a nap
A grasshopper jumping, a winding road”

あるこうあるこうわたしはげんき
arukō arukō watashi wa genki
あるくのだいすきどんどんいこう
aruku no daisuki dondon ikō

きつねもたぬきもでておいで
kitsune mo tanuki mo dete oide
たんけんしようはやしのおくまで
tanken shiyō hayashi no oku made
ともだちたくさんうれしいな
tomodachi takusan ureshī na
ともだちたくさんうれしいな
tomodachi takusan ureshī na

きつね [kitsune] : fox
たぬき [tanuki] : raccoon dog
出る（でる） [deru] : come out
探検（たんけん） [tanken] : exploration
林（はやし） [hayashi] : forest
奥（おく） [oku] : depths
ともだち [tomodachi] : friends
たくさん [takusan] : many
うれしい [ureshī] : happy

(translation) “Foxes and raccoon dogs, come out
Let’s explore, to the depths of the forest
So many friends, it makes me happy
So many friends, it makes me happy”

Foxes and raccoon dogs have been familiar animals to the Japanese since ancient times. They also appear frequently in Studio Ghibli’s film “Pom Poko” (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ / Heisei Tanuki Gassen Ponpoko).
My Neighbor Totoro also touches on Japanese religious views and animism. To put it simply, it’s about becoming friends with nature.

The film will be screened in theaters in the UK and Ireland starting August 2. I hope many people around the world will watch it.